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Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah built the monument in 1591 shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what now is known as [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]][http://www.aponline.gov.in/Quick%20links/HIST-CULT/architecture_qut.html A.P. Government: Charminar]. Legend has it that the building honors a promise Quli Qutb Shah made to Allah. He supposedly had prayed for the end of a plague and vowed that he would build a [[masjid]] on that very place. The masjid became popularly known as Charminar because of its four (Farsi ''char'' = four) minarets (''Minar'' (Arabic manara) = spire/tower), which possibly honor the [[Rashidun|first four caliph]]s of [[Islam]]. The actual masjid occupies the top floor of the four-story structure. ([[Madame Blavatsky]] asserted that each of the floors was meant for a separate branch of learning .)''FROM THE CAVES AND JUNGLES OF HINDOSTAN'',H.P.Blavatsky. Urbana, Illinois (USA): Project Gutenberg.Etext #6687. 2004. p 265 There is a legend that an underground tunnel connects the palace at [[Golconda]] to Charminar to give the Qutb Shahi royal family an escape route should they need it during a siege. However, the exact location of the tunnel is unknown.
In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli prayed: ''Oh God, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode. Like fishes in the water.'' True to the legend, the city blossomed into a synthesis of two cultures. ************************************************************ Please contact Shashi Mettu at + 00-91-98495-30995 for Prints / Enlargements and Busssiness enquiries *********************************************************** |
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Nikon D40X 10.2 mp on Gigapan Epic 100, 759 pictures, 69x11
Lens Nikon AF 70 - 300mm f/4-5.6G fully zoomed out to 300mm actual; i.e. 450mm in 35mm format, CPL, focus mode manual, noise reduction off, Epic 100 set to FOV 3.2 degrees Manual exposure, aperture f/10, shutter speed 1/100 second, ISO Speed 100, fine, large, WB direct sunlight, image optimization more vivid, sharpness Hard, saturation High, Contrast High, color space sRGB |
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The classic grande dame of hotels in Hong Kong, The Peninsula, at night. Some minor pausing was involved because of cars coming up to the driveway and dropping off / collecting passengers, but I still managed to chop off one of the Rolls-Royce Phantoms that are the signature of the Peninsula - the hotel has been using Rolls as their hotel car since the 80s, and the color is a unique shade of green that Rolls-Royce only uses for cars going to the Peninsula. |
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This is the second of three GigaPans I took on the 21st of December 2008 of the Twelve Apostles. The first picture was taken just out of view in the right center of the picture where the elevated walkway goes out of sight.
Since I couldn't put it any more concisely, here is a description from www.visitvictoria.com The Twelve Apostles are giant rock stacks that rise majestically from the Southern Ocean and are the central feature of the rugged Port Campbell National Park. The Twelve Apostles are the remnants from constant erosion of the limestone cliffs of the mainland that began 10-20 million years ago. The stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone, forming caves in the cliffs. The caves eventually became arches and when they collapsed rock stacks up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore. The Twelve Apostles are located just east of Port Campbell, along the Great Ocean Road. - visitvictoria.com |
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A fine photograph of the tallest tower in the world and its construction site. The tower is 800 metres high. Behind, on the right, the man built canal which will pass trough the city soon, requiring the destruction of roads and compounds. On the left, the old Dubai, small compounds with sand roads which were surrounded by desert and dunes just 3 years ago. Zooming, you will see all the new towers just coming out of the ground, have a look at the roads and the size of the whole construction site. Look at the number of buses which carry the thousands of workers who work on the site. |
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I have had the fortune to go to the Twelve Apostles twice now and both times it has been hazy. No big deal, just wish I could have taken a GigaPan on a nice clear day. In this GigaPan, the different colors of the cliff on the right are from where the sun did come out of the clouds for a while and then went back behind the clouds. The washed out area in the middle is where the sun came out, and the colorful areas are where the sun was behind the clouds. This is the first of three GigaPans I took here.
Since I couldn't put it any more concisely, here is a description from www.visitvictoria.com The Twelve Apostles are giant rock stacks that rise majestically from the Southern Ocean and are the central feature of the rugged Port Campbell National Park. The Twelve Apostles are the remnants from constant erosion of the limestone cliffs of the mainland that began 10-20 million years ago. The stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone, forming caves in the cliffs. The caves eventually became arches and when they collapsed rock stacks up to 45 metres high were left isolated from the shore. The Twelve Apostles are located just east of Port Campbell, along the Great Ocean Road. - visitvictoria.com |
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This is the view to the west at the intersection of Main and Seventh Streets in Hays, Kansas. Prominently featured are the Ellis County Historical Society and the Brunswick Antique Mall. The real reason I shot this, however was to capture the Felten Sculpture "Street Singer" near the center of the panorama. |
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The TMC suffers with a great amount of traffic and roads always need improvement at one time or another. This scene illustrates a road improvement that is currently in progress and the well-designed safety precautions that have been installed to keep traffic moving in a safe manner. |
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It's a beautiful morning in the Lakes Area of SpringHill Camps. |
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This Victorian Council-run Lido fell into dis-repair in the late 1980s and was closed and derelict for many years. Arne Rigner of the Glass boat Company took on the enormous task of rebuilding the Lido and developing into a popular swimming pool, health spa, cafe and top class restaurant. It is in a little back street in residential Clifton. |